Chickpeas is a very popular legume that we add to a large variety
of dishes. We add it to bulgur pilaf, a stew, or for salad. Street vendors sell
a bowl of lablabi with a slice of lemon. It is a very satisfying and delicious snack.
For this recipe, you can use canned chickpeas, but traditionally
we soak the dry chickpeas in a bowl of water overnight. The following day, we cook them in a pot of
water for an hour until the chickpeas are soft. Then add salt and sometimes we
add turmeric and Arabian spices.
1 pound lamb shoulder, cubed with bones
4 cups water
1 onion, sliced
1 (15-ounce can) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon bahar (Arabian spice)
Tannour bread or Nan for serving
Rinse the lamb, and put in a pot with water. Bring to a
boil. Add the onions, salt and spices and cook for 45 minutes until meat is
tender. Add the chickpeas and simmer for 10 more minutes.
To serve this soup, put a few pieces of tanour bread in a
bowl and scoop the soup over it. Serve slices of lemon and scallions with the
soup.
Sometimes we add Noomi Basra (dried lime) to this soup to
give it a sour flavor. If you are using whole dried lime, make sure to remove
the seeds before adding them to the soup as they give a bitter flavor.
Enjoy!
